April 25, 2001
Chicago, Ill. - Following a pair of losses on Tuesday, UIC Head Softball Coach Mike McGovern looked to his bench for a spark as his Flames took on Northern Illinois Wednesday evening.
The veteran skipper placed Melissa Garvey in the starting lineup and the senior proved to be just what UIC needed as she went 3-for-6 at the plate with a home run and four RBI to lead the Flames to a doubleheader sweep of the visiting Huskies. UIC run-ruled NIU, 9-1, in the first game, then shutout the Huskies 3-0 in the nightcap.
"It was nice to see an upperclassman that when a opportunity knocked, answered the call," McGovern said. "Garvey hit the ball off the wall last night in a pinch hitting role, and we've been looking for another stick in the lineup."
With the sweep, UIC improves to 35-23 on the season while Northern Illinois drops to 15-27 on the year.
Garvey got the Flames going in the first game, erasing a 1-0 NIU lead with a three-run homer to leftfield off Huskies starter Anne Hamilton (1-6) in the second inning. It was Garvey's first career home run.
The Frankfort, Ill., native was not done, though, as she put UIC up 5-1 in her next at bat with a RBI double off the leftfield wall in the third inning.
The Flames would add three more runs in the fourth inning off NIU reliever Jolene Heller as Amanda Rivera launched a two-out, three-run homer over the leftfield wall for an 8-1 UIC lead.
Emily Hallman would then end the game in the sixth with a RBI double for the run-rule, 9-1, final score.
UIC freshman Alycia Creese (16-9) settled down after allowing four hits and a run in the first, surrendering just two hits the rest of the way for her 16th win.
In game two, UIC rookie Alison Aguilar took a no hitter into the seventh. But with one out, NIU's Samantha Knoll broke it up with a scratch single over second for the Huskies lone hit in a 3-0 Flames' victory.
The one-hitter was Aguilar's third of the season as she improved to 12-5 on the year with the win, finishing the game with a season-high tying seven strikeouts.
Rivera (2-for-3, 2 HR, 6 RBI) provided Aguilar with all the run support she needed in the fourth inning, launching her second home run of the game - a two-run blast off the centerfield scoreboard. Rivera also added a sacrifice fly in the fifth for the final 3-0 count.
NIU's Amy Krahula tossed six innings in defeat for the Huskies, falling to 4-6 on the year.
McGovern's crew will be back in action on Saturday, April 28, at Flames Field as they resume Midwestern Collegiate Conference play with league-leading Wright State at 1:00 p.m.
